Ecumenism and the
Kingship of Christ
The summer has come and gone. Now autumn’s winds
and rains are upon us and the oaks stand naked against
the chill. The cotton and tobacco have been harvested and
the pumpkins are finding their way to children’s windows
and family ovens.
It is harvest time — time for the farmer to go inside
and count his gains — time for all of us to begin to close
the books on 1965 — time to prepare ourselves for the great
American Feast of Thanksgiving.
Our Mother, the Church, is also an observer of the
changing seasons. Her liturgical year is drawing to its
close even more rapidly than the civil or calendar year.
She too has reaped a harvest this year — a harvest of souls
for tier Spouse, and so, in keeping with the season, she is
, celebrating her own thanksgiving day. The Church calls
it the Feast of Christ the King, and on this Sunday she
wishes to recall and recapitulate all the mysteries and tri
umphs in the life of Christ which the Liturgy has com
memorated during the year.
How fitting that we reverence Christ as our King!
Think of the many titles He holds to our loyalty and obedi
ence: it is He who made us; it is He who more wondrously
' re-made us as new men through His Passion, Death and
Resurrection; and it is He who will judge us in the life
to come. There are many facets to the glittering crown
which rests upon Christ’s brow. In the words of the special
preface for this Sunday’s Mass, His is a kingdom of truth
and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of
justice, love, and peace.
To some, however, the transition in which the Church
is presently engaged signals the end of the kingdom. Cere
monies, attitudes, and points of view which we had come
to look upon as irreformable have been abandoned seem
ingly overnight. Now, even the ancient law of fast and
abstinence is the subject of reappraisal and revision! And
what of the new relationship with our Protestant brethren.
Isn’t this turnabout a sure sign that the walls are crum
bling?
The standard reply to such objections is that one
must be able to distinguish between what is incidental and
what is essential to the Faith. With regard to ecumenism,
however, one must also be able to envision the kingdom
| of Christ as not limited to the visible, institutional Church,
but as embracing the whole of Christendom. It is an article
of the Catholic Faith that there is no salvation outside the
Church, but the term “Church” in this context has always
been interpreted in the broad sense so as to include all
I those who sincerely strive to accomplish God’s will as they
understand it.
Surely, then, the kingdom of God as it exists on earth
has broader boundaries than we can define. Surely our
King looks favorably upon this new atmosphere which has
settled upon His subjects. He is pleased with each fervent
prayer for Christian unity, and showers His graces upon
• each attempt we make to understand our separated breth
ren. He knows all too well what sort of future awaits a
kingdom which is divided against itself!
In this year, 1965, it appears that ecumenism has
finally been adopted by Protestants and Catholics alike,
not as a passing fad or as a trial balloon, but as a positive
and permanent requirement of all their religious endeav
ors. For example, it is gratifying to learn that many
Protestant preachers are preparing to deliver sermons on
the theme of Christian unity this Sunday. The choice of
this particular date is most meaningful, for in years gone
by this was Reformation Sunday: an annual opportunity
to belittle and beleaguer the Church of Rome.
The change in the Catholic mentality is strikingly
manifested by a comparison of two articles. The first was
a response to the objection that ecumenism was the cause
I of the recent decline in converts to Catholicism. Our Sun
day Visitor took up the challenge and demonstrated that
the areas of the country which had produced the most
converts, in recent years were identical with the areas
which had been given ecumenical leadership.
In 1965, however, the state of the question was turned
completely about. When the Paulist Press published its
fourth volume in the “Concilium” series, the title given to
the first article was “Mission: Obstacle or Stimulus to
Ecumenism?”. That very title reflects a mature Christian
spirit and a recognition that ecumenism, having been
1 willed by Christ and decreed by the Church, can no longer
be treated as an adjunct to, or a by-product of essential
Catholicism. We are beginning to realize that we are
obliged to be ecumenical just as surely as we are obliged to
worshipful or just or missionary.
If, then, the Feast of Christ the King can be considered
as the ecclesiastical counterpart of Thanksgiving Day, it
should be celebrated this year with special joy. The king
dom is not on the brink of disruption. Rather, at long last,
it is headed in the direction of becoming whole again.
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.. . Pre-Council Style
The Week in Liturgy by rev. paschal boland, o.s.b.
The Reign of Christ is Now
October 31
FEAST OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR KING
(21st Sunday after Pentecost). The ancient cov
enant between God and man ceased with the
Old Testament. A new accord, established by
Christ, and written on the pages of the New
Testament, opened the way for the reign of
Christ.
This kingship of Christ was recognized by
the three kings who traveled from the East,
bearing royal gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh,
to greet Him shortly after His birth. No longer
was Almighty God to be worshipped in fear
and tremblng for His beloved Son was to estab
lish a reign of love. As an infant Christ drew
all hearts to Himself, as later He would draw
them when lifted up to die on the cross for love
of us.
TAR ON MY HEELS
By Dale Francis
You can’t please everybody, and when it
comes to the Raleigh News and Observer ap
parently you can’t please anybody.
An editorial in the Raleigh paper scolded
the Vatican for absolving the Jews as a whole
from any guilt for the crucifixion.
To understand this you have to realize that
the Old Reliable isn’t for blaming the Jews,
they just don’t think they needed to be absolved
and they thought it presumptious for the Coun
cil to do so.
Now there are a great many Catholics who
agree with them, Catholics who never have
blamed the Jews, who realize that Christ died
for our sins and that it was our sins that drove
the nails.
But there have been some who called the
Jews “Christ-killers” and not only the majority
of the Council wanted to lay to rest that lie
once and for all but Jewish leaders wanted it
done.
Actually anti-Semitism’s roots weren’t that
simple. At least part of the walls of the Jewish
ghetto were self-constructed by a people who
have always maintained a separate entity. This
was their right and by their religious convic
tion their necessity but it was also a part of the
reason they stood off where they could be vic
timized by bigots.
The Council not only condemned anti
Semitism in the strongest terms but it made
certain that no one could ever use the argu
ment again that the Jews should suffer because
of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They didn’t
condemn “deicide” because it was theologically
inaccurate to speak of the death of Christ as
“deicide,” but they did once and for all make
clear to the world no blame should be placed
on the Jews of all time because of what a few
Jews and Romans did centuries ago.
That pleased almost everyone but, of
course, it didn’t please The Raleigh News and
Observer. They have a knack of finding some
thing to criticize.
Monday, Nov. 1
ALL SAINTS. The liturgical calendar of
the Church is unable to include the names of
all the saints. Many are recorded in the mar
tyrologies. Still many more are known only in
heaven.
The saints were once boys and girls, men
and women, like ourselves. They faced the
pleasant and the unpleasant realities of life.
Baptism gave them, as it did to us, the divine
impetus for saving their souls and becoming
saints. Many died for the Faith as martyrs.
Many more lived the Faith, professing it faith
fully and daily until the end of their lives.
Tuesday, Nov. 2
REMEMBRANCE OF THE FAITHFUL DE
PARTED. Yesterday we honored all the saints.
Today we remember those who have gone be
fore us and are on their way to heaven. Masses,
prayers, and good works are needed to free
them from the confines of Purgatory and their
last suffering. Every priest may offer three
Masses on this day: One for all the souls in
Purgatory; another for the deceased that the
Pope wishes prayed for; and the third for the
deceased that the priest wishes to offer Mass
for.
Wednesday, Nov. 3
MASS OF 21st SUNDAY AFTER PENTE
COST. Christ taught that we should love God
with our whole heart, soul, mind, and body;
and our fellowmen as ourselves. He illustrated
this teaching by the parable of a king who
forgave the debts that two different men owed
him. One of these men had a fellow-worker
who owed him a small debt and when he told
him he was unable to pay it then, had him
jailed. When the king heard of this hateful
action he rescinded his own clemency to him
and had him imprisoned. “This,” said Christ,
“is how My heavenly Father will deal with you
unless you forgive your brother from your
heart” (Gospel).
Thursday, Nov. 4
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO. What the
Council of Trent accomplished in the 16th cen
tury for the Church is credited to this master
mind, able diplomat, and indefatigable worker,
and nephew of the reigning pope, Pius IV. Let
us seek his intercession for the successful con
cluding of Vatican U, “Ever keep your Chinch,
O Lord, under the protection of St. Charles”
(Prayer of the Assembly).
Friday, Nov. 5
MASS OF 21st SUNDAY AFTER PENTE
COST. St. Paul enumerates in ancient military
phrases the weapons of attack and defense
against the devil and his evil spirits: The belt
of truth, the breast-plate of justice, the shoes
of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salva
tion, and the sword of the Word of God (1st
Lesson).
Saturday, Nov. 6
MASS OF BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FOR
SATURDAY. Last Sunday we honored Christ
as King in the Liturgy. Today we honor His
mother.